I like hearing Jerry say before the 2nd set begins "The rest of the band couldn't make it for this set." Which made me wonder if anyone would be highly upset by it? On one hand I'd love to hear Jerry do a completely solo set by himself!!! But at the same time, it was all of the instruments that made their sound so great!
☆☆☆☆》GREATEST "Greatest Story Ever Told"!!! Or at least, in my opinion it is!!! Idk, it seems as if the versions I had gotten use to were much later versions that were a little but longer. And when I first heard this version, I listened to it over & over & over again This is without a doubt the "smokinest" I've ever heard! It's short but very, very sweet. They played a similar version 4 days b4 at The Omni. But still, the one here Jerry does a much better lead solo. Jerry was evidently feeling good & he rips & tears it to shreads!!!! And it sounds like he using a wawa peddle too but I'm not sure cuz Jerry always had his own special effects built into the guitar so it could just be one of those. Lots of LOVE, peoples!! 🌈💞👍💥✌🎶🎵🎶🎵💕🎶🎵🎶🎵🤪🌙👏👏👏🍥🌈💞DEC 18, 2020- 47 YEARS AGO TODAY!!! This was one of those shows that I can't hear too many times! I keep coming back to this one. I've even got it bookmarked along with a bunch of others that I love.

Both of the Tampa shows are uneven, yet not without their must-hear highlights. This night is characterized by saggy tempos throughout the middle of both sets, bracketed by powerful openers and closers that surely kept the Florida crowd satisfied. I listened to both the Dusborne matrix and the Charlie Miller soundboard. The Dusborne includes all of the funny between song banter, including Phil threatening the crowd with White Rabbit and Bobby complaining about folks throwing too many flowers onstage. Both copies have their merits but suffer from the usual boxy vocal mixing that might turn newer listeners off (sadly a constant throughout the ‘73-74 period). This one probably gets overlooked for an official release because the peak stretches of Rider and Let It Grow are missing on the soundboard due to reel flips. 

Set One

We open with a killer Tennessee Jed that clicks into gear immediately. Bobby’s counterpoints and Jerry’s vocal phrasing are what make or break this song; both are on their A-game here. Keith, meanwhile, gets to shine on Me and My Uncle (not usually a piano showcase, but still a fitting vehicle for some barroom piano). MaMU has the “grabbed a bottle / cracked him in the jaw” variant that Bobby would sub in based, for all I can tell, on vibes..

The first set is populated with country-folk tunes that don’t exactly keep the energy consistent. Bobby bookends Jerry’s uptempo They Love Each Other, for instance, with sleepy versions of Looks Like Rain and Me and Bobby McGee. It doesn’t help either that Jerry’s slide guitar on LLR is not one of his cleaner performances. Even Beat It On Down the Line is weirdly sluggish on this occasion, although Keith’s barroom piano fills make it worth sticking through.

Brown-Eyed Women seems out of tune, which is ironic considering it’s preceded by a long tuning break where Bobby works the crowd with an incomprehensible (improvised?) story about a German submarine.

Things get a bit more interesting when Jerry delivers only the third-ever live rendition of Peggy-O, which is tighter than its inaugural performance in Charlotte the week prior. It doesn’t compare to the ‘77 arrangement, but it’s nevertheless clear right away that the song is a perfect showcase for Jerry’s vocals, at once vulnerable and mysterious like the jilted captain in the song’s lyrics.

The energy picks up just enough with solid versions of El Paso, Deal, and Jack Straw. China Cat -> Rider ends the first set on a strong note. Bobby’s guitar solo is front-loaded with unique variations on his usual solo and plays prominently in the mix, as do Jerry’s subtle comps. It‘s always fun to hear the two swap roles for a few minutes while each retaining their unmistakable musical identities. There is the requisite Feelin’ Groovy segue into a forcefully sung, if not totally well-harmonized I Know You Rider.

Set Two

The band is warmed-up and fiery on the opening sequence of Promised Land > Bertha > Greatest Story Ever Told. Jerry offers some inspired vocals on Bertha and tasty wah-wah on Greatest Story. Phil has to coax the band into the latter number after a bit of a sloppy segue, and Bobby has a hard time carrying the vocals without Donna’s high harmonies.

Phil also has to remind the audience to simmer down for “the quiet part” of Weather Report Suite. Doesn’t stop him from throwing in a few loud and out of place fills under Bobby’s verses. This one is likewise odd without Donna’s harmony vocals (she was on maternity leave during the late ‘73 tour). I’ve come to think of this song as the Dead’s answer to George Harrison’s solo music, with Jerry’s slide part and the onomatopoeic vocal arrangements in Part One sounding like dead ringers (heehee) for George’s signature style. Dig the transition directly into…

Dark Star is concise and focused (perhaps the last time it would be, what with the ‘74 Stars pushing the outer limits of aimlessness). Playing off of Billy’s jazzed-up slant, Bobby teases Big River and dances his way into a very swung Mind Left Body jam around 8 minutes in, but even this is short—it trails off as soon as Bobby tries to insert the b-section built on that walloping E-chord; otherwise, this MLB rests on the main four-chord theme (which I tend to prefer—see also: Kiel Auditorium 73-10-30). The verse arrives around 10 minutes in. Phil’s aggressive lower register really carves space for itself on this version and, indeed, throughout the whole show!

A spacey feedback jam ensues, as if the band can’t wait to get directly to the crazy part. This is a more atmospheric and less intense noise section than the explosive meltdown we get the following night. Tonight’s is predictive of the full-band Seastones explorations we get with Ned Lagin in the summer ‘74 shows (see: Alexandra Palace 74-9-11 and Winterland 74-10-16), with Phil leading the charge and even Bobby getting in on the effects-heavy weirdness. Billy gets a brief drum solo that leads swiftly into Eyes.

Eyes of the World has a heavier marching beat in this rendition, giving it more of a straight rock feel than the spry jazzy rhythm it usually had in ‘73. Phil plays monster lead bass in the second instrumental break, and the band nails the transitions into and out of the prog-inflected d-minor section. Phil drives the whole thing home with some rumbling power chords, triggering the segue into Wharf Rat.

Sugar Magnolia is a surprisingly clean version for this late in the evening, with Bobby in good voice and not going (too) overboard during the Sunshine Daydream coda (again, no Donna to share the vocal burden) and Jerry in the pocket. Keith’s piano fills and Phil’s undiminished drive are the icing on the cake here, as has been the norm this evening!

The UJB encore is a UJB encore. Deeg.

This is an absolutely amazing show and everything I love about 73' Dead.

As others have noted, this is a beauty of a show. Great era. Beautiful sound. Nearly flawless. The patches almost improve the quality of the show. The WRS>DS>Eyes is an obvious standout but the rest of the show is played really well--I dig the TLEO. The band feels really laid-back, in the pocket.

Unique 1st set and over the top 2nd set.
While I miss Donna Jean in the mix
the boys come to play.
Laid back and loose from the stage
"would you rather hear White Rabbit"-Phil
Jams are blissfully wonderful
and Phil is seriously turned up to 11
(check out EOTW>Slip)
Sweet
Mama
Daydream..

It was -2 here in Northern Illinois this morning when I came into work and I needed something to help warm up. After a bit of snooping on AdO, I went with this hot number. It's a nice way to help warm up the winter! Love It!!!

Jed is an unorthodox opener. SQ is perfect, Keith is ready to play. Good effort.
MAMU is full of energy, keeping things going nicely.
Don't Ease actually loses some steam, which made it doubly annoying.
LLR came in under bad auspices, but was actually musically well done.
TLEO came out next, Jerry's call. It's plenty groovy. Don't know what the bonehead on archive who said the 1st set was lame was on.
McGee starts off as a regression. It's a decent enough version.
BEW starts off after they fix the piano, while Bob tells some absurd story.It's got a great energy.
BIODTL has the energy sustained
Peggy-O in its 3rd voyage. Sounds pretty, they are still feeling it out, you can tell. It's a go, all things considered.
El Paso will ensure we don't lapse into complacence. Noodles begin right off the bat. This one is great, sassy Jerry and Keith.
Deal is short and sweet! Powerful, Jerry is again being tough!
Jack Straw is better than most from this period! Noodles and power playing.
China>Rider is great! This China Cat offers a great jam that I usually consider reserved till the Rider portion. In fact, most of this jam is China Cat, until like 7:15. Unfortunate patch in Rider. Strong final jam!

PLand>Bertha>gset starts off the 2nd set with all you would expect. Jerry is belting out the Bertha lyrics. The full team attack is going, Bob is a bit low in the mix. GSET is fully awesome and wah wahed out. It has an interesting cascading jam at 3:30 that then goes back into full blown energy. Homerun.
Row Jimmy is decent, I've heard better in this period to be sure.
WRS>LIG>DS>MLB>DS>DRUMS>EYES>WHARF>SUGAR, quite a sequence! Beautiful WRS, and major energy in the LIG, by 11 minutes into it they have really done some good stuff, there is a short reprise, and then they go into hyperspeed! Dark Star has a slightly MLB them at some point between verses. AFter the second verse, it goes into feedback while Jer noodles slowly underneath it, almost like watery whale calls at one point. Out of nowhere Jer takes us to a Tiger!!! No one else mentions that, it's short, but nice and powerful out of the space/feedback. This disintegrates into drums...
Out of drums we have Eyes! It comes in with no frills, typical intro jingle. First jam is rather jazzed with Jerry doing some nice leads. Phil has some solo work in one of the later jams of the song, well played, sir. However, Jerry seems to have been out? Maybe he busted a string. Bob and Phil definitely have a bigger role, then Jerry comes back as they head to the quasi-Slipknot theme jam, after which Jerry takes fully charge again.
They turn on a dime to head into Wharf Rat. Beautifully played! Everyone is in the right place on the right tempo. Flawless, other than the AUD patch, which really isn't bad.
Sugarmags to finish up the sequence maintains.

The UJB, seems at a lower volume? Patch? It's not an AUD patch if it is, and Miller didn't note any patch here. The jamming could be a bit faster, though it does get better in the later jam action. This is a great song for an encore, but energy is down... of course... overall...

A high energy show!

SQ is amazing!

Former Grateful Dead archivist Dick Latvala (R.I.P.), selected the following night (12/19) to be released as the debut of what became known as the Dick's Picks series. While I have no qualms with that decision (the HERE COMES SUNSHINE from that night is worth the price of admission alone), I'd rate this night as being just as rewarding.

While I offer no constructive criticism for the first set, this night is clearly all about the second set that follows it. Jerry walks onto the stage and jokingly remarks that "the rest of the band couldn't make it for this set" before a jeering crowd. Jerry's seemingly jovial mood seems to serve him well, as he offers some of his best playing of the year during this set. (I've read and listened to interviews where Jerry alludes to being nervous as a cat before going on the stage. If that was the case, he does a swell job of masking it here, as he commands this set with utter confidence and competence.) Hats off to you, "captain trips"!

The finest hour of the evening undoubtedly occurs during the segue that runs as follows: WEATHER REPORT SUITE->DARK STAR->DRUMS->EYES OF THE WORLD->WHARF RAT. This WRS is arguably the best of the year, and with possible exception of 9/11, certainly the jazziest (the interplay between Jerry & Bobby is stupendous). There is an AUD patch around the 14:20 mark, lasting approximately a minute, but hardly seems like a blemish thanks to Charlie Miller’s magic touch.

The Dead, alas, retired for the year after the 12/19 show. It’s seems curious as to why they didn’t squeeze in a few more dates and finished with a new year show like they did in '72. (Perhaps being on the east coast, the travel time back to Cali was factored in, and squeezing in more dates would seem over ambitious.) The Dead were riding a consistent sound wave in late '73 that they were never to quite hit the likes of again. It seems a pity that didn't play a few more shows that we can only speculate how extraordinary they could have been. Still, we must be thankful for what we do have, and realize the boys were well deserving of a break, and an opportunity to relax with loved ones for the holidays. Well done, boys!

P.S. The DS contains a suddle, yet sweet "Mind Left Body Jam". Listen and dig it, folks!

ditto 2 all positive reviews- Truth!

A perfect show from start to finish! Many, many highlights but the run of WRS>DS>Eyes is beyond belief. One of my favourite WRS - Jerry's soloing on the Let it Grow section could be among his best.

I was just a sophomore in high school when I went to this show, my first. Little did I know then that I'd be seeing 24 more shows before it was over. Great job of preserving.

Icredible show and a perfect rremaster by C Miller. Some people want to buy Charlie a drink. I'd like to buy him a whole distillery!

Gratest story ever told! absolutely on fire, super show, just half way through and its rockin

I only saw 4 shows here in UK. Bickershaw Fest72.10 sept.74 at Ally Pally.21 march 81at Rainbow & Halloween 1990 at Wembley.I love the Keith & Donna one drummer period and this show must rank as one of the best.

The audience patches show how strong the audience recording mix is, one of my all time favorite audience recordings - not necessarily the clearest or anything, and I know the balance is off, but it's full and powerful, so much more like being at a show. I know everybody loves a crisp soundboard, but can someone upload the audience tape of this show? I lost my SA-90 a long time ago.....

Grate show! get it!

they only opened with Jed on two other occasions, on 9-17-73 and 6-29-76.......

second set rips...

Nicely preserved soundboard, good stereo sound field, good performance

how many times they opened with tennessee jed? i dont think i have ever heard them open with it other than this show but i havent sifted through any setlist databases to check yet.

And more.

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~<->/<->\<->~

5 stars for the mix
5 stars for the recording
5 stars for the performance
5 stars for the Charlie Miller Transfer

Mellow, intense, deliberate, smooth and relaxed are just some of the ways I'd describe this show.

Billy's playing is in the pocket. China Cat Sunflower is funky.

I highly recommend adding this show to your 1973 GRATEFUL DEAD collection.

Charlie did it again, another audio "Masterpiece".
Thank you Mr. Miller.

Get it while you can, get it while it's free, get it now or you'll be sorry...

Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.

Thanks for the LOVE from 1973, my senior year in HS.

PS: Charlie Miller must be one heck of a human being to share these shows with the loving fans of the GRATEFUL DEAD. He is an inspiration to me. Maybe there was some truth to the 60's?

THE MUSIC LIVES THANKS TO CHARLIE MILLER!!!!

LONG LIVE THE MUSIC, AND LONG LIVE CHARLIE MILLER!!!!!

Dick picked the wrong Curtis Hixon show!

Although the first set moves a bit slowly, this is truly a special performance. Jazzed out to the max and packed with slashing leads from Weir, this is easily among the very best shows of 1973, and definately one of the best sounding files archived here!

The China/Rider segue, though mellow, is extremely well jammed, and the WRS/Let it Grow combo is as jazzy as any played. Is that Becker and Fagan sitting in?

One of the better Dark Stars of '73, complete with a terrifying feedback segment, and the amazing Weir/Lesh interplay during Eyes of the World (where is Jer?), make this one rather unique and very special. (99+ pts)

charlie miller is the man and this music is a gift from god